RICHMOND — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia has named a Richmond minister to be the organization’s first mission coordinator.
Mark Snipes, who had been associate pastor of youth and young adults at Central Baptist Church in Richmond, assumed his new role Oct. 1. The CBFVA announced the move at its recent General Assembly.
Mark Snipes
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Snipes will serve as the CBFVA point person for missions, administration and special events. He will also preach and teach in churches and mission events across Virginia to educate and inspire congregations about the CBF’s local and global mission. He joins field coordinator Rob Fox and associate coordinator Jennifer Clore on the CBFVA staff.
For the past four years, Snipes has been coordinator for the CBFVA’s Mission Madness, a hands-on mission experience that engages youth and adults with local communities.
Snipes had been on the staff of Central Baptist Church since 2008, going there from a similar position at Haddock (Ga.) Baptist Church. The Georgia native holds a master of divinity degree from McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University in Atlanta and a bachelor’s degree from Shorter College in Rome Ga. He and his wife, Katye, have two sons.
“I look forward to working with Cooperative Baptists in Virginia as we join God at work here in the Commonwealth,” Snipes said in a press release. “I am excited about the partnerships that will be formed and existing partnerships that will be strengthened because of our Kingdom work in Virginia and across the globe.”
Richmond pastor David Turner (right), who has assumed the role of CBFVA moderator, chats with other General Assembly participants.
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Fox said Snipes brings a depth of ministry experience and a passion for missions that he said has become a trademark of CBFVA.
“Mark brings proven experience leading Mission Madness, shaping our annual youth retreat, and engaging in a variety of international mission immersion experiences,” Fox said. “Mark will advance our engagement in God’s mission both locally and globally, and his collaborative spirit will strengthen the greater Fellowship.”
In other action at the General Assembly, Rich-mond pastor David Turner assumed the role of moderator. Turner, pastor of Central Baptist Church in Richmond, had been moderator-elect for the past year.
The CBFVA also elected Kathy Shereda, interim pastor at Purdy Baptist Church in Emporia, Va., as moderator-elect; Bland Campbell, pastor of Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church in Fredericksburg, Va., as secretary; and Dennis Sacrey, church administrator at Fredericksburg Baptist Church, as treasurer.
The CBFVA also adopted a 2013-2014 budget of $189,110, a 23 percent increase over this year’s $154,230. Sacrey said the larger budget reflects an increase of about 7 percent in income, as well as costs related to the new mission coordinator and growth in participation in the organization’s Mission Madness and youth retreat.
Last month, the CBFVA moved into office space in Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond’s new campus facility. BTSR has provided space at a modest cost for CBFVA staff for several years.
Robert Dilday ([email protected]) is managing editor of the Religious Herald.